Jannik Sinner breaks silence on Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘very sad’ French open withdrawal

Jannik Sinner has reportedly spoken about Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from both the Italian Open and the French Open (Roland Garros) due to a lingering wrist injury. As the defending champion-having won these titles in 2025-Alcaraz will be unable to defend his title or pursue a conservative victory in Paris.

The 22-year-old seven-time Grand Slam winner originally suffered the injury during his opening-round win at the Barcelona Open earlier this month. 

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The world no.1 Jannik Sinner reacted to the news by calling it a “very sad day for tennis,” underlining that the sport is better when Alcaraz is competing. 

Sinner stated that as a competitor, he always wants to play against the best in the world, and he urged Alcaraz not to rush his recovery.

When asked if this makes him the favorite, Sinner downplayed the suggestion, focusing instead on the hope that Alcaraz will be fit for Wimbledon in June. 

This is the first Grand Slam Alcaraz has missed since the 2023 Australian Open. With the World No.2 sidelined, Sinner heads to Paris as the top seed with an opportunity to complete his own Career Grand Slam, having already captured titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. 

The withdrawal delayed the next chapter of the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry, which defined a 2025 season where the two split the four major titles between them.

“I don’t know. I think this is not what we should talk about,” replied the 24-year-old Italian.

“And also, for me personally, it’s nice when he’s around, it makes me look also in the draw and single matches in a different way. Even though if I face Carlos, it would always be in the final, being the No 1 and No 2 seeds, that’s the case.

“I send him [wishes for] a speedy recovery, even though it’s painful and very sad for tennis.

“Being young and going through difficult moments, it can happen. I do believe he’s going to come back stronger than before. But injury is always tough, especially [the] wrist.

“There are certain areas of our body which are very sensitive, and the wrist we saw with those other players in the past can complicate our lives.

“I hope he’s going to come back, and he will not have any further injuries.

“But I also believe that it’s good that he and his team take the time, you know, because if you come back too early then maybe you have a bigger problem afterwards, and we all want him to be competitive when he comes back.”

Additionally, he believes that every day brings a new opportunity, noting that it is crucial to remain hopeful in order to improve for the next round and continue spreading positivity.